


The Assassination of Admor King of Goodness

by Benedict_SC



Category: Kill Six Billion Demons (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, a parable from Throne, aping the lore stories under the comic, it says no archive warnings apply but that doesn't mean it's squeaky clean, probably not a broadly applicable moral lesson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 10:41:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11461911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benedict_SC/pseuds/Benedict_SC
Summary: On the dangers of elevating goodness, and on the somewhat deferred dangers of elevating anything else.





	The Assassination of Admor King of Goodness

In the 1560th part-year of Solomon David's domain over his 111,111 dominions, the reign of Admor King of Goodness of the 38,450th Incorruptible Gate-Palace, Anointed of the Demiurge, came to an end at the hands of a great many traitors in the court. He was slain by nobles- those practiced in the art of pretending to be noble. He bled out, still in the grip of sheer confusion at the sight of his most goodhearted and trusted courtiers turning and putting blades between his bones. Before that day, however, no attempt on his life was ever successful.

In the 1559th part-year of Solomon David's domain over his 111,111 dominions, the reign of Admor King of Goodness of the 38,450th Incorruptible Gate-Palace, Anointed of the Demiurge, did not come to an end, though his many enemies prayed otherwise.

His foremost enemy, however, put no stock in prayer. Romda Wretch of Evil, a black devil of terrible magic power, swore that the King of Goodness would die at her hand, and that Solomon David's 38,450th domain would belong to her.

Romda had spent many years collecting her power and working her magic, and she had finally woven a weapon that she was certain would strike down Admor. She fashioned a word, six symbols long and not to be repeated, fashioned to cut at the heart of his power. To speak ██████ to any creature of the warm black flame would blast the goodness from their heart, leaving them with only their vices and selfish desires to guide them. It was a weapon forged to lay low the subjects of Admor King of Goodness. Consequently, it was a weapon that would have little effect in her home of Throne.

Armed with ██████, she cloaked herself and began her journey to the palace of the King of Goodness.

At the outer gate to the palace, she came upon a towering knight, wrapped in armor. He bore a holy sword of pure white silver, and such was his power and experience that he saw her for what she was in an instant.

"Halt," he said, bringing his holy sword to bear. "I am a knight of Admor King of Goodness, and I will not let you pass."

"Why do you serve Admor King of Goodness?" Romda asked. "You know that I am powerful and my magics are many. If you oppose me, you may die. Why not flee for your life?"

"It is my duty," he answered. "I was brought up as a knight to serve the king of these lands. I have sworn a hundred vows to serve, and I repeat them each and every morning. I have served with pride for countless years, in the service of the King. He and the people of this land count on me to defend them from evildoers like yourself. It would be the greatest wrong for me to abandon them."

"██████," Romda said, grinning, and the goodness was struck from his heart in an instant.

"██████?" the knight asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing at all," Romda replied. "It is your duty to turn me away now, even though I may overcome you and kill you. You have sworn many vows. It would be wrong to do otherwise."

"Wrong?" the knight asked. "What do I care if it is wrong? What do I care for vows? For duty? If I try to fight you, you may kill me! Be on your way- I have just noticed that I might turn my sword on the defenseless people of the town and pillage their valuables, and I will surely be richer for it. I have no time for you."

So Romda continued past the outer gate, onwards to the inner gate to the palace, and behind her the knight cut down a thousand innocents in search of riches.

At the inner gate to the palace, she came upon the captain of the guard, surrounded by soldiers. She bore a towering longbow of polished steel, and such was her cunning and discernment that she saw her for what she was in an instant.

"Halt," she said, bringing her towering longbow to bear. "I am the captain of the guard of Admor King of Goodness, and I will not let you pass."

"Why do you serve Admor King of Goodness?" Romda asked. "You know that I am powerful and my magics are many. If you oppose me, you may die. Why not flee for your life?"

"The king is good," she answered. "His laws protect the poor and downtrodden, keeping them from harm and exploitation. No other king alive is as kind to his people as Admor, and to protect him is to protect the happiness of the kingdom's underprivileged. I became the greatest warrior in the land so that they might live under a just rule. It would be the greatest wrong for me to let you threaten that."

"██████," Romda said, grinning, and the goodness was struck from her heart and the hearts of her soldiers in an instant.

"██████?" the captain of the guard asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing at all," Romda replied. "You should try and turn me away now, even though I may overcome you and kill you. The poor depend on the king for justice. It would be wrong to do otherwise."

"Wrong?" the captain of the guard asked. "What do I care if it is wrong? What do I care for the poor? For justice? If I try to fight you, you may kill me! Be on your way- I have just noticed that the riches of this palace are unguarded, and there are many soldiers who have noticed the same who may steal them before me. I have no time for you."

So Romda continued past the inner gate, onwards to the courtyard, and behind her the captain of the guard cut down a thousand soldiers in search of riches.

In the courtyard, she came upon the Princess of Goodness, surrounded by flowers. She bore a holy book of moral truth, and such was her intact sense of hearing that she heard the palace guard killing each other and saw her for what she was in an instant.

"Halt," she said, bringing her holy book to bear. "I am the daughter of Admor King of Goodness, and I will not let you pass."

"Why do you serve Admor King of Goodness?" Romda asked. "You know that I am powerful and my magics are many. If you oppose me, you may die. Why not flee for your life?"

"I know I will die," she answered. "I carry no weapon, and you will kill me easily. But I will scream a warning cry as I die, and the king will hear me and know you are here. My death matters not to me. I have learned from my holy book of moral truth that this sacrifice is right beyond a shadow of a doubt- and furthermore, the king is my father, who I love, and I would gladly lay my life down for my family. It would be the greatest wrong for me to betray them."

"██████," Romda said, grinning, and the goodness was struck from her heart in an instant.

"██████?" the Princess of Goodness asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing at all," Romda replied. "You should prepare to scream now, since I will certainly overcome you and kill you. It is right to sacrifice yourself for your family. It would be wrong to do otherwise."

"Wrong?" the Princess of Goodness asked. "What do I care if it is wrong? What do I care for moral truth? For family? If I don't stand aside, you will kill me! Be on your way- I have just noticed that I could use my great beauty to steal the hearts of this land's people, and steal their lives and belongings as they sleep. I have no time for you."

So Romda continued past the courtyard, upwards to the royal tower, and behind her the princess seduced a thousand men and women in search of riches.

At the top of the royal tower, before the door to the throne room, she came across a soldier of the guard shirking his duty. He bore a half-eaten apple and a paring knife, and such was his fear and guilt that he took a moment to see her for what she was.

"H-halt!" he said, bringing his paring knife to bear. "It's not what it looks like! I was just about to get back to work, I swear!"

"Why do you serve Admor King of Goodness?" Romda asked. "You know that I am powerful and my magics are many. If you oppose me, you may die. Why not flee for your life?"

"The pay's good," he shrugged. "I mean, fleeing sounds like a great idea, but if I can stop you, I'll surely get a bonus, and they'll overlook my unauthorized lunch break. If I saved the king from a black devil, I'd be set for life. But, yes- you seem powerful, so I'm honestly on the fence about it."

"██████," Romda said, grinning, and the goodness was struck from his heart in an instant.

"██████?" the soldier asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing at all," Romda replied. "Y-"

"Oh, nothing? Then- I have just noticed- your magic must be weak," the soldier said, and threw his paring knife into Romda's throat. Unable to move her tongue, she could not speak spells to defend herself, and so the soldier laughed and carved her into a thousand pieces in search of riches.

When Admor King of Goodness came upon this, the soldier was rewarded richly for his avarice, in the guise of noble resistance to temptation. He was knighted for his service, to replace the fell knight who had abandoned his post to pillage Throne. He was made captain of the guard, as every other guardsman who may have filled the post was either dead or fleeing to Throne with the castle's riches. He was made crown prince of the 38,450th Incorruptible Gate-Palace, as the king's only child had disappeared to go fornicating and thieving in Throne.

In the 1560th part-year of Solomon David's domain over his 111,111 dominions, the reign of Admor King of Goodness of the 38,450th Incorruptible Gate-Palace, Anointed of the Demiurge, came to an end at the hands of a great many traitors in the court who had been paid off by the crown prince.


End file.
